


Wash the smiles away

by AutumnHobbit



Series: I'm in paradise with Dad [4]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Angst, Gen, Maybe OOC, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 00:51:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10263203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnHobbit/pseuds/AutumnHobbit
Summary: Joker pushed too far. Bruce acts._______Sequel toI'm in paradise with DadandYou were my home.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Idek what this is, honestly.
> 
> In this AU I think Bruce has kind of been pushed past the brink, and while I still don't think he would kill....I don't think he would allow Joker to hurt anyone again. So. Take what you will of this short and crappy piece.
> 
> Title from Walk With The Noise by IAMX.

It's evening on a Wednesday when the door to the Joker's cell opens from the outside, and Joker barely has the time to raise his head and start to plaster on the hint of a maniacal grin when his chair is suddenly kicked from beneath him and someone slams into him with the force of a freight train, shoving him against the wall hard enough to crack at least two ribs in his back. He gulps, almost too breathless to summon a chuckle. Almost.

"Batsy," he gasps at the masked face less than an inch from his, whiteout eyes glowing mercilessly, jaw locked in rage. "I wondered when you'd be by. Did you like my prese--"

He's flung across the room before he can speak again, and hits the wall face first with tremendous force. Pain explodes behind his eyes, in his nose and jaw, and he slides down the wall and can't bring himself to move for a long moment, stunned. When he _can_ move again, his hand goes straight to the gun in his pants, adrenaline causing the limb to shake. He grasps his gun and yanks it out, points it at Bats before he moves. "Wha--if you were--" he pants. "If you were _that_ upset about it you could have returned it for a refund--"

Batman crosses the room in seconds, in less than two strides, and Joker refuses to admit he backs away, because he's pointing a gun _right at the Bat's damn head_ and he doesn't seem to care. And Batsy _hates_ guns, always hated guns.

"Jason. Todd." Bats says, his voice barely words, just gravel and hate and pain. It makes Joker feel all warm inside.

"Cute little thing, wasn't he? He begged so hard."

Batsy freezes for a moment, still not acknowledging the gun, still not attacking, still not playing along. "He was right about you," he says, in a whisper. Like a prayer.

"That I'm a monster? Ohoho, Batsy, did you ever really know me at all?" Joker pouts, pursing his red lips and flitting his finger playfully on and off the trigger.

Bats stands stock still for another moment. Then he's running full out and Joker fires out of shock, caught in the middle of a flick. The bullet hits Bats in the side.

He doesn't stop.

He rams into Joker and knocks him over, and Joker keeps firing, once, twice, three times. Bats takes all three bullets without any reaction. "I won't kill you," he says, like an afterthought, intense, but something in his tone makes Joker shiver.

"Well, Batsy, I'm flattered, but--" he points the gun at him again, at his head this time. "You're going to have tooooo!" He singsongs. He grins. "It's all I've ever wanted, to see you at my level. So come on. If this doesn't do it, what will?"

He tightens his finger on the trigger.

Faster than he can process, he's been disarmed, his gun hand broken, he's been thrown onto the floor. And suddenly, something sharp and hard and unbearably heavy rams down on his upper back, between his neck and his shoulders. He screams a shrill, hysterical laugh...which breaks off suddenly when something _cracks,_ and he can feel it and _hear_ it break, and he can't move. At all. His hands won't move. His feet won't move. He can barely move his head, but that's all.

"You will never," Bats almost whispers, grinding his heel in deeper, " _never_ hurt anyone again."

And then his footsteps are marching off, towards the door.

Joker tries desperately to turn his head. "Bats--" he chokes breathlessly, voice rising in panic. _"Batsy!"_

He doesn't so much as glance back.


End file.
